Kennedy – Page 2 – Kennedy Space Center

Live Coverage Begins for STP-3

STP-3 Launch Pad — The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and the United States Space Force’s STP-3 mission on launch day. The mission hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC). Photo Credit: NASA

Hello, and welcome from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket stands ready for liftoff at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) for the U.S. Space Force’s (USSF) Space Systems Command (SSC) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Launch is scheduled for 4:04 a.m. EST this morning, with a two-hour launch window. Follow along on NASA Television for the live broadcast.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a more than 90% chance of favorable weather for liftoff.

Here’s a look at some of today’s countdown and ascent milestones. All times are approximate:

COUNTDOWN 
Hr/Min/Sec    Event
– 00:55:00      Start flight control final preparations to raise hydraulic pressures
– 00:45:00      Pressurize Main Engine Pneumatic System to flight pressure
– 00:16:00      Initiate fuel fill sequence
– 00:10:00      Weather briefing with Atlas Launch Weather Officer
– 00:05:00      Fuel fill sequence is complete; water deluge system actuation pressure adjustment is performed; Atlas L02 at flight level; Centaur L02 at Flight level; Centaur LH2 at flight level
– 00:04:00      Hazardous gas monitoring is complete; automatic computer sequencer takes control for all critical events through liftoff; Atlas first stage LO2 replenishment is secured, allowing the tank to be pressurized for flight
– 00:03:00      Atlas tanks reach flight pressure
– 00:02:00      Atlas first stage and Centaur upper stage switch to internal power; L02 and LH2 topping for Centaur will stop in 10 seconds
– 00:01:30      Launch control system is enabled

LAUNCH AND SPACECRAFT DEPLOYMENT
All Times Approximate
Hr/Min/Sec    Event
00:00:00.1     RD-180 Engine Ignition
00:00:01.1     Liftoff of the Atlas V
00:00:03.9     Begin Pitch/Yaw Maneuver
00:00:34.7     Mach 1
00:00:48.7     Max Q (moment of peak mechanical stress on the rocket)
00:01:46.7     Solid rocket booster jettison
00:03:30.2     Payload fairing jettison
00:04:27.4     Atlas booster engine cutoff (BECO)
00:04:33.4     Atlas Centaur separation
00:04:43.3     Centaur first main engine start (MES-1)
00:10:38.4     Centaur first main engine cutoff (MECO-1) 
01:07:22.1     Centaur second main engine start (MES-2)
01:12:25.6     Centaur second main engine cutoff (MECO-2)
06:24:48.2     Centaur third main engine start (MES-3)
06:27:26.3     Centaur third main engine cutoff (MECO-3)
06:30:15.4     STPSat-6 Separation
07:10:02.4     LDPE-1 Separation
08:08:02.3     End of mission

Stay connected with the LCRD mission on social media:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAGoddard, @NASALaserComm, @NASA_Technology, @NASASCaN
Facebook: NASA, NASAGoddard, NASA Technology, NASA Space Communications and Navigation
Instagram: NASA, NASAGoddard

Launch Day Arrives for Space Test Program-3 Mission

STP-3 Atlas V — The United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket and the United States Space Force’s STP-3 mission sit on Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41) at Cape Canaveral at sunset. Photo Credit: United Launch Alliance

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket stands at Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida for this morning’s launch of the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission.

Lift off is scheduled for 4:04 a.m. EST, with a two-hour launch window. The mission, managed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), will launch the Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC).

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a greater than 90% chance of favorable weather for liftoff.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about this morning’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Stay connected with the LCRD mission on social media:
Twitter: @NASA, @NASAGoddard, @NASALaserComm, @NASA_Technology, @NASASCaN
Facebook: NASA, NASAGoddard, NASA Technology, NASA Space Communications and Navigation
Instagram: NASA, NASAGoddard

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: 80% Chance Favorable

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 80% chance of favorable weather Tuesday, Dec. 7, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
A ridge of high pressure at the surface will generally dominate central Florida through Wednesday. For primary launch day Tuesday, a frontal boundary stalls over the Florida panhandle, with extensive cloud cover over north Florida and a slight chance for some mid-level clouds to extend further south near the Spaceport. Therefore, the primary concern for launch day is the Thick Cloud Layer Rule. For Wednesday, this front and associated cloud cover lifts further north. With high pressure at the surface, we can expect mostly clear skies, with a very slight chance for a Cumulus Cloud Rule violation Wednesday morning.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Launch Update, Now Targeted for Dec. 7

The Dec. 6 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission has been scrubbed. The team repaired the ground storage system but will require additional time to verify the sample integrity of the fuel prior to tanking operations. Launch of the mission – which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder – is now scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 7, at 4:04 a.m. EST.

NASA TV live launch coverage will start approximately 35 minutes before launch on Dec. 7, at 3:30 a.m. EST:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: 90% Favorable for Dec. 6

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather Monday, Dec. 6, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
High pressure will retreat into the Atlantic Ocean slightly by Monday, bringing light winds from the south, patchy fog slightly reducing visibility, and a slight chance for isolated low topped showers just off the coast Monday morning. Therefore, the primary concern for launch day is the Cumulus Cloud Rule. For Tuesday, some mid-level clouds ahead of a cold front that will stall out near the Florida panhandle could move over the Spaceport, with an isolated low topped shower still possible just offshore.

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

Space Test Program 3 Launch Scrubbed, Now Targeted for Dec. 6

The Dec. 5 launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket carrying the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission has been scrubbed. During initial operations, a leak was discovered in the Rocket-Propellant-1 (RP-1) ground storage system. Launch of the mission – which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder – is now scheduled for Monday, Dec. 6, at 4:04 a.m. EST.

NASA TV live launch coverage will start approximately 35 minutes before launch on Dec. 6, at 3:30 a.m. EST:

https://www.nasa.gov/nasalive

Space Test Program 3 Weather Forecast: Remains 90% Favorable

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predict a 90% chance of favorable weather Sunday, Dec. 5, for launch of the Department of Defense Space Test Program 3 (STP-3) mission on United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket. The two-hour launch window opens at 4:04 a.m. EST.

Lifting off from Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) in Florida, the ULA rocket will take the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD) Space Test Program Satellite-6 (STPSat-6) spacecraft, which hosts NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) and the NASA-U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Ultraviolet Spectro-Coronagraph (UVSC) Pathfinder.

Forecast Details
High pressure will be in place over central Florida through Sunday morning when it retreats into the Atlantic Ocean slightly by Monday, bringing light winds Sunday coming from the south on Monday, and a slight chance for isolated low topped showers near the coast on Monday. Therefore, there is minimal concern for the Cumulus Cloud Rule on Sunday, and an increased concern for the same on Monday as isolated showers near the coast.

Primary concern: Cumulus Cloud Rule

Join us here on the blog tomorrow morning for live launch updates – live coverage of the launch is scheduled to air on NASA Television, the agency’s website, and the NASA App beginning at 3:30 a.m. EST.

Learn more about tomorrow’s STP-3 launch by visiting the mission home page at www.ulalaunch.com. To stay updated about LCRD and laser communications, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/lasercomms.

NOAA’s GOES-T Launch Update

Artist's rendering of GOES-R, NASA — Credit: NASA/Artist’s rendering of GOES-R

NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are now targeting Feb. 16, 2022, for the launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite T (GOES-T) mission. The launch was previously planned for Jan. 8, 2022. NASA, NOAA, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) coordinated the new target date to optimize launch schedules for missions flying from Space Launch Complex-41.

GOES-T will launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V 541 rocket. The two-hour launch window will open at 4:40 p.m. EST. This launch is managed by NASA’s Launch Services Program based at Kennedy Space Center.

GOES-T is the third satellite in the GOES-R Series, which will extend NOAA’s operational geostationary satellite observations through 2036. The GOES satellite network helps meteorologists observe and predict local weather events, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, fog, hurricanes, flash floods and other severe weather.

NOAA manages the GOES-R Series Program through an integrated NOAA-NASA office, administering the ground system contract, operating the satellites, and distributing their data to users worldwide. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center oversees the acquisition of the GOES-R spacecraft and instruments. Lockheed Martin designs, creates, and tests the GOES-R Series satellites. L3Harris Technologies provides the main instrument payload, the Advanced Baseline Imager, along with the ground system, which includes the antenna system for data reception.

Looking forward, NOAA is working with NASA on the next-generation geostationary satellite mission called Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO), which will bring new capabilities in support of U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations in the 2030s. NASA will manage the development of the GeoXO satellites and launch them for NOAA.

Televised Prelaunch Briefing Tomorrow for Landsat 9

Landsat 9 spacecraft lift and mate operations take place. — The Landsat 9 spacecraft is lifted for mating to the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Sept. 15, in preparation for liftoff targeted for Sept. 27. Photo credit: USAF 30th Space Wing/Pedro Caril

NASA will hold a prelaunch briefing tomorrow, Sept. 25, at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT), for Landsat 9, the NASA and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) joint mission to monitor Earth’s land and coastal regions.

Briefing participants are:

The United Launch Alliance Atlas V booster for NASA’s Landsat 9 mission is positioned inside the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, prior to mating with the Landsat spacecraft. Photo credit: NASA/Randy Beaudoin

Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, NASA Science Mission Directorate
Karen St. Germain, Director, NASA Earth Science Division
Tanya Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science, Dept. of Interior
Michael Egan, Landsat 9 Program Executive, NASA Earth Science Division
Tim Dunn, NASA Launch Director, Launch Services Program
Scott Messer, Program Manager, United Launch Alliance
Addison Nichols, Weather Officer, Space Launch Delta 30

Watch the briefing live on NASA TV.

Meteorologists with the U.S. Space Force’s Space Launch Delta 30 predict a 90% percent chance of favorable weather for launch on Monday morning, with liftoff winds around 10 knots posing the main concern.

Launch coverage will begin at 10:30 a.m. PDT (1:30 p.m. EDT) on Sept. 27. You can follow the countdown milestones here on the blog and on the NASA website.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #Landsat and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @NASA_Landsat, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASA360, @SLDelta30
Facebook: NASA, NASA Earth, NASA LSP, SLDelta30
Instagram: NASA, NASAEarth, Vandenberg_AFB

NASA’s Landsat 9 Science Briefing on Tap Today

Landsat satellite image of the sands and seaweed in the Bahamas. — Since 1972, Landsat has monitored Earth’s land and coastal regions, contributing to nearly 50 years of free and publicly available data from the mission – the longest data record of Earth’s landscapes taken from space. In this Landsat satellite image, the sands and seaweed in the Bahamas create multicolored, fluted patterns. Photo credit: NASA/GSFC/Landsat

Officials from NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will discuss the launch of the Landsat 9 satellite during a science briefing at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT) Friday, Sept. 24.

The Landsat 9 launch is targeted to lift off Monday, Sept. 27, from Space Launch Complex-3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with the 30-minute launch window starting at 11:11 a.m. PDT (2:11 p.m. EDT). The science briefing will air live on NASA TV, the NASA app, and the agency’s website.

Data from Landsat 9 will add to nearly 50 years of free and publicly available data from the Landsat program. The Landsat program is the longest-running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. It is a joint NASA/USGS program. Researchers harmonize Landsat data to detect the footprint of human activities and measure the effects of climate change on land over decades.

Once fully operational in orbit, Landsat 9 will replace Landsat 7 and join its sister satellite, Landsat 8, in continuing to collect data from across the planet every eight days. This calibrated data will continue the Landsat program’s critical role in monitoring land use and helping decision-makers manage essential resources including crops, water resources, and forests.

Briefing participants, in speaking order, are:

Jeff Masek, Project Scientist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Chris Crawford, Project Scientist, USGS
Alyssa Whitcraft, Associate Director and Program Manager, NASA Harvest Consortium
Del Jenstrom, Landsat 9 Project Manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Brian Sauer, Landsat 9 Project Manager, USGS
Sabrina Chapman, Manager, System Engineering, Northrop Grumman Space Systems
Sarah Lipscy, OLI-2 Senior Engineer, Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at Kennedy Space Center, is managing the launch. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will manage the mission. Teams from Goddard also built and tested one of the two instruments on Landsat 9, the Thermal Infrared Sensor 2 (TIRS-2) instrument. TIRS-2 will use thermal imaging to make measurements that are used to calculate soil moisture and detect the health of plants.

The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, will operate the mission and manage the ground system, including maintaining the Landsat archive. Ball Aerospace in Boulder, Colorado, built and tested the Operational Land Imager 2 (OLI-2) instrument, another imaging sensor that provides data in the visible, near infrared, and shortwave infrared portions of the spectrum. United Launch Alliance is the rocket provider for Landsat 9’s launch. Northrop Grumman in Gilbert, Arizona, built the Landsat 9 spacecraft, integrated it with instruments, and tested the observatory.

For more information about Landsat, visit: https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov and https://www.usgs.gov/landsat.

Learn more about NASA’s Launch Services Program at: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/launchingrockets/index.html.

Stay connected with the mission on social media, and let people know you’re following it on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using the hashtag #Landsat and tag these accounts:

Twitter: @NASA, @NASAEarth, @NASA_Landsat, @NASASocial, @NASA_LSP, @NASA360, @SLDelta30
Facebook: NASA, NASA Earth, NASA LSP, SLDelta30
Instagram: NASA, NASAEarth, Vandenberg_AFB